Bad Blood
by BleedingInkXIII
Summary: In thirteen days, the capitol of Cocoon - the most grand city ever built by the hands of humans– fell. The origin was unknown, but it hit faster and harder than any plague known to mankind. It was what destroyed the once-flourishing land of Gran Pulse, and now Cocoon is suffering the same fate. Will Fang and Light's loved ones survive? Walking Dead inspired AU.
1. So Close To The End

Hello readers. This was originally planned as just a one-shot submission for the Fangrai Forever contest, but as with most anything in my head, it grew and evolved into, well...you'll see. Fellow WD fans out there will probably recognize some elements of the that in this fic. I tried not to go too much into the Walking Dead direction, but I suppose you will be the judge of that.

But, FLight and a zombie apocalypse? A combination of two of my favorite things! I hope you enjoy this as much as I did, and before I stop yammering and let you read this longass jumble of words, I'm just going to give you this warning: It's going to be a bumpy ride.

Now, read on~

* * *

"Bad Blood" - Bastille

She laid the map on the large stump that's long been cut to make things more efficient for the orginal inhabitants. The map was worn – torn at the edges, wrinkled and starting to fade, and held together by tape in the middle. The poor thing was also covered in red marker – circles, X's, crossed out lines, and dots marred the once pristine and glamorous surface of the map of Cocoon.

"We're almost there. It'll take a day to get into even the outskirts of the city, so we'll rest and restock tonight. The main highway is broken, but there's a subway entrance we can take."

"So we can go into that cie'th fest? Light, I've told ya thousands of times – Eden. Is. A. No. Go." She slapped the map with an open palm after each word for emphasis. "The place is SWARMIN' with the damn biters. They'll get us before we can even get a mile into the city. Don't forget that we've got an old man an' children. We've been hikin' for _days;_ we'll need more than a day ta rest. An' then there's Serah-"

"I _know_. That's why I'm trying to get us to the tower as quickly as possible. I can't–" her face twitched and her eyes shot back in the direction of the tents, where the others were resting. "We have to get her to safety. _Everyone_ to safety. The Palamecia has food, water, shelter, and _doctors_, Fang. They can take care of us. We won't have to be on the run, under constant fear anymore."

Fang scoffed. "That's a mighty big gamble there." She sighed and shifted her weight to the other foot, unfolding her arms to gesture with them. "Alright. _Assumin'_ they do 'ave all the nice things ya mentioned, how many of us do ya think can even make it there? We're almost outta food an' water an' energy. We were lucky ta escape Palum Polum. An' don't forget we lost Bart, Lebreau, Yuj, Gadot, an' Maqui - an' Eden's gonna be ten times WORSE than Palum Polum! Do ya think the baby'll survive-"

Light cut her off with a sharp glare. She didn't want to think about those things, and the heavy losses they recently made. "We just have to be more careful. I know everyone's tired, but we're so _close_, Fang. We just need to push the extra mile. And then Serah can have-" She faltered again. Lightning has counted on one hand the number of times she's hesitated, but that was before everything went to chaos. The topic wasn't one she was entirely comfortable with, even after so many months. She took a quick breath to compose herself again. She may be tired, stressed, mentally and physically torn asunder, but Lightning Farron would never lose face so easily._ Get a grip on youself. You're the leader._ How embarassing. "And then she can have her _child_," Fang could detect the smallest hint of poison in her tone, though anyone else would have never noticed it, "-Under the care of professionals, in a clean and _safe_ environment."

"_If _she or the kid makes it. You're a soldier. I'm a hunter. Not everyone else is as tough as us, Light. Did ya see your sister? Serah was 'bout ready ta drop after we got outta that deathtrap! She's livin' for two, an' I doubt she'll last a day in Eden. Hope's still cryin' after what happened with his pop. The entire group's exhausted. _I'm _exhausted. We're all beaten, an' miserable, an' low on supplies. An' ya wanna drag everyone through third degree Hell?" Fang shook her head. "It ain't worth it, Light."

The soldier pinched the bridge of her nose, hating how much sense Fang made, but the other half of her brain screamed that they still try to make a run for the Palamecia. But knowing how stubborn the warrior was, she'd shoot her down. And then the group would argue and everything will fall apart. They could not afford to fall not apart. Not here. "Alright. What are you suggesting, then?"

"There's a ship called the Ark somewhere east of Eden. It's what the survivors took ta get ta Cocoon during the Outbreak. We can go 'round tha city, lay low, and take it. It's old, but it oughta work, and we get everyone ta Gran Pulse."

Light gave her an incredulous look. "Tch. _Pulse?_"

Fang frowned. "It's _Gran _Pulse."

"Whatever. Fang, the place has been uninhabited for more than_ a decade_. It still may be hell down there, who knows?"

The Pulsian gave a rather offended look, folding her arms again. "But there's lots of room – nature. Even if we can't go ta the cities, we can live in the forests around Oerba. There's lots of rivers, game, herbs, caves for shelter – It sure is helluva lot safer than _'ere_."

"What about the _remains_ of what happened twelve years ago, huh?"

Fang's expression darkened. "It won't be as much of a problem as it is here on Cocoon. Your government dropped bombs as a _solution_, remember?"

Light quieted, scolding herself mentally for being so harsh. The Fall of Gran Pulse was still a sensitive topic. Even more sensitive now, considering their current situation, actually. Fang was a survivor, living through a second nightmare. Light might as well as slapped her in the face and insulted her clan.

In thirteen days, the capitol of Cocoon - the most grand city ever built by the hands of humans– fell. The origin was unknown, but it hit faster and harder than any plague known to mankind. It was the same thing that destroyed the once-flourishing land of Gran Pulse.

_If ya catch it, it kills ya. But that's not the worst part. Ya come back. Not as a human, oh no. A monster without any sense but the taste for flesh and destruction. Half eaten, mutilated, broken bodies rise once again. Crystal spikes juttin' out of the body and a horrible wail that's usually the last thing ya hear before they tear ya apart an' if you're real unlucky, ya turn into one of those things. They're resilient. Sometimes they're mutated into bigger, stronger beasts. An' the only way ta kill 'em is a blow ta the head. Ya gotta destroy the brain. Else, they just keep comin'; they don't feel pain. If ya want ta live, ya better get rid of all the mercy ya 'ave for 'em, cause they got none for ya. I call 'em Shamblers. Cie'th is their proper name. _

That's what Fang had explained to her, right in the beginning when she met the woman in Bodhum. The curse had spread even to her small quiet town in just a month, and she was cornered by a recently-turned cie'th. She had her gunblade out and already fired five rounds into the man's chest, but he didn't even so much as flinch. She would have been a goner, had Fang not shown up at the nick of time and lanced the monster with her spear. They've stuck together and lead their rag-tag group of survivors since.

Light mumbled a "Sorry," then looked up at the tanned woman. "Okay, so _assuming_ Gran Pulse is safe, how long will it take to get to the Ark?"

The brunette tapped her chin in thought. "Well, considerin' we gotta play it safe an' take a day or two ta rest an' restock...'Bout two weeks, maybe."

"_Two weeks?!_" Her signature scowl graced her face. "Fang, we're running out of time! Serah doesn't have two weeks! She's due any day now."

"I know, but it's still the best bet we've got! Ya want 'er ta fight an' run with that growin' load in 'er belly? She'll be lunch for the cie'th. An' then there's the bandits! Some of those bloody bastards stole a weeks worth of supplies! There's bound ta be more than a few rats hidin' out in Eden, not ta mention the _millions_ of shamblers prowlin' the streets. Ya wanna put 'er, an' everyone else through that?"

Light clenched her jaw and grounded her teeth in frustration. They didn't have many options, nor the time to sit down and figure another plan out. "But it'll take only two days to reach the tower if we move quickly. I know the risks, but it's our best choice at the moment. Gran Pulse is just too _far_. I don't want Serah giving birth in the middle of some god-forsaken cie'th-infested ruins."

Fang huffed and stared at the sky for a few seconds, silently pleading the gods for a miracle. The woman was just too stubborn. "Fine. But one day." She unfolded her arms again and took a step closer. "Ya give us at least one day for everyone ta rest an' restock. I remember passin' a town not too far 'round 'ere. We're low on food, water, an' ammo, an' we'll need everythin' we can get if we wanna make it through Eden with our hides intact."

Light nodded. "Fine. Fair enough."

The Pulsian grinned and put an arm around the soldier. "Let's go tell everyone the good news, then."

As anticipated, they rejoiced at the thought of a day off and the campfire that night was merrier than usual. There was no actual fire of course - it attracted the shamblers – but dinner was roasted chocobo meat since Noel and Caius managed to catch one instead the canned beans and corn they've been ingesting for the past week. The group sat in a circle in the center of their camp, the area lit by a few dim lanterns. There was more talk and a bit more hope in the air that their long, arduous journey was finally at its end and they could rest easy, safely aboard the Palamecia, soaring through the Cocoon skies.

Fang and Light were walking around the small camp they set, on patrol for anything that endangered their friends and family. They hadn't said much since telling everyone of the plan to enter Eden and reach the tower and then to board the Palamecia, but the silence was a comfortable one. The area was relatively safe, since they had cleared out the few stray cie'th that morning.

"Hm...Mild night," Fang stated while staring at the sky twinkling with a few stars and lit by the shy glow of a crescent moon.

Light nodded, eyes scanning the area in front of her, senses alert. "Mhm." She jumped when a strong arm wrapped around her waist, but then relaxed slightly and leaned against Fang.

"You're really on edge, Sunshine." She leaned a bit closer, to whisper into her ear. "What say you we _de-stress_ after patrol, hm~?"

She was glad the darkness hid the slight blush that crept its way onto her cheeks. "That sounds nice, actually."

The huntress only chuckled softly and gave the soldier a wink and a pat on the rump before keeping both hands on her lance and eyes and ears peeled for enemies. They had a habit of popping out of nowhere.

Light got up with a groan from her very warm and comfortable spot next to Fang and began to retrieve her garments that were scattered all over the floor. A few new bruises and marks were added to her collection on her sore and battered body, but she didn't particularly mind the new ones.

"Aw, not gonna go for another round, Sunshine~?" Fang purred from her spot on the bedroll, watching the way Light would bend and put on her underwear the way a predator watches prey. She admired the curves; her smooth, pale skin; the way her toned muscles would ripple with every movement; and even the scars on the Cocoonian woman. It reminded her of the warrior goddess of old Gran Pulsian legends.

Light turned to meet Fang's intense gaze and suppressed a shudder. _Those damn eyes..._"As tempting as it sounds, we need to rest. You, Noel, Caius, and I will make a trip to that town and see if we can find some supplies tomorrow."

Fang sighed, a tad bit disappointed that her special time with the soldier was over but gave a nod. "Alright, alright." She dragged her tanned body up as well and stretched before looking for her own clothing.

And now it was Light's turn to stare. She did it discreetly, of course, watching from her peripherals as she slowly put her clothes back on, eyes keenly watching and tracing every inch of the flawless figure next to her. _As if sculpted by Etro herself..._They surely didn't make people like Fang on Cocoon-the raw and untamed air about the woman could only be from a place as wild and exotic as Gran Pulse, not Cocoon with its strict systems and stifling manners.

"My, my, ya sure seem to like what ya see." Fang grinned teasingly and made sure to exagerate her stretch so her chest was out and arms were behind her head, muscles flexing.

"Tch." She quickly turned so her back was to the Pulsian to hide her guilty blush as the huntress chuckled. "Put your clothes on already." Yep. Untamed was right.

"Aw, but you were so keen to get me outta 'em not too long ago~"

Light grumbled but otherwise refused the continue the conversation as Fang chuckled in amusement.

They could never afford to waste much time nor lower their guard for too long, so their _bonding_ moments were always rushed and desperate. You never know when the cie'th will hit, or if they'll live to see the next day after all. Satisfy the need, then it's back to work.

"Night, Light."

"Night Fang..."

Fang gave her a peck on the cheek before walking out of her tent, walking across the camp to the one her and Vanille shared. The younger Oerban was scared to sleep without her adoptive sister. Though recently she's been allowing Hope to bunk with them after the loss of his father, consoling him and trying to make him smile. By the time Fang entered her own tent, the two had already fallen asleep. _Poor kid..._ She shook her head and crawled into her own bedroll, asleep in seconds. She dreamt a nightmare that was actually a memory. One she knew very well.

_A horde was right behind them. Her parents were dragging her along, and she ran as fast her young legs could. The last ship due for Cocoon was at the edge of town, by the bridge. Cie'th were all around them, attacking and feasting on the villagers she had grown up with. Her uncle. The bucher that would sometimes give them extra meat. The neighbor's children and orphans she would often play with. _

_ Just screaming, blood, wailing, and death. _

_ They passed a group of men with their crossbows and lances, stabbing and shooting the demons but to no avail. A head was sliced clean off, and the mouth still moved. Another had a lance sticking out of their chest, right where the heart was. A person that recently died twitched and moaned, crystal spikes beginning to form on their skin._

_ Something had grabbed her ankle and she screamed. _

_ He was still alive, but barely. There were deep puncture wounds in his chest, missing half a leg, and most the rest of him was already gnawed on. He was covered in blood, but Fang could see his tattered clothing. The deep blue sari that was a signature of the Yun. He was a hunter, like her father. _

_ 'Please...' he wheezed, coughing up blood. '' 'elp...me..." _

_ And Fang only watched, shaking. Help? How could she help? She wasn't a healer. She wasn't an adult. She was only a child. _

_ 'Fang! Let's go!" And then she was pulled away by her father's strong arms. _

_ 'But he-'_

_ 'He can't be helped.' _

_ They continued running. The cie'th had gained on them. But they pushed on as quickly as they could. Before long, they reached the ship, and her parents both hugged her and kissed her head. Her mother gave her her necklace. _

_ Then they handed her away. _

'_Go Fang! Ya 'ave ta live on!'_

_ 'No! Ma! Pa! Don't leave me alone!'_

_ 'We love ya, Fang. Don't ever forget who ya are. A Yun.' And then her father tossed his prized lance to her. She caught it with shaking hands, staring at the beautiful shaft carved with intricate Pulsian scirpt with widened and reddened eyes. The weapon was too big for her. She had dreamed of wielding it one day when she was older; when she had earned the title of a hunter. But no, not today. Her father should have been holding it, and fighting the disgusting monsters with it. Fighting to his very last breath, as a Yun should. And her mother should have been fighting, too, she was a skilled swordswoman in her day. But instead, they both simply held each other and watched tin wide-eyed fear, as well as relief, as their only daughter be taken in by the too-crowded group of survivors. _

_ And then the ship started, and the door began to close. She had tried so hard, so very hard to break free from the grasp of the man that held her from jumping out of the ship. 'Lemme go, ya bastard! My parents-!' She had to help her parents. She had to fight to the end with them._

_ 'There's no room for 'em! It's too late!'_

_ "NO!'_

_ She heard their shout as the door closed and she rushed to the window, just in time to see a dozen of them rip right into her mother and father. She froze, unable to make a sound or even look away. Even at a hundred feet into the air, she could hear their wailing. She could hear the screams of her parents as they were devoured by monsters, helpless. She watched, as her home was destroyed. _

_ And once Oerba had only become a small, red speck in the dark, she closed her eyes and her body shook. People was around her, talking to her, and touching her arms and shoulders, but she felt nothing. Just the surge of emotions, mostly rage. She could've killed the demons, she could've helped her villagers, she could've saved her parents – if only she were stronger; bigger._

_ But no. She was a child, barely ten years of age, and she was flying towards a floating world that knew nothing of the fear nor pain that these cie'th brought. _

_ And she was ready to explode, were it not for the crying of another child that rang in her ears. _

_ She was little, probably younger than her, with short red adults had left them alone to take care of other things, so the poor girl had no one. _

_ Just like her. _

_ So Fang sat beside her and held her. 'Stop crying. It won't bring 'em back.'_

_ The girl sniffed and rubbed her eyes. 'B-But they're all gone..."_

_ "Then we'll stick together, yeah? We'll grow big an' strong, an' then come back ta Gran Pulse and get rid of all those monsters. How's that sound?" She had a glint in her eyes. Determination. Survive and get revenge. _

_ The girl saw the look in Fang's eyes. And it reassured her, giving a small nod and wiping her tears. "Okay."_

The same night, Light woke with a startled gasp. She reached across the mat, searching for that comforting warmth, but then remembered Fang had left to return to her own tent. She sighed, frustrated and disappointed. And she wouldn't admit it, but sightly jealous as well.

Fang couldn't sleep with her because she had to make sure Vanille was safe. Light certainly understood that, being a big sister and all, but sometimes she wished the Pulsian was there with her. She's had the same nightmare for months and could really use those tanned arms wrapped around her. She hated feeling weak. She was Lightning, leading a group of survivors in a devastating apocalyptic world. But at times, even she felt vulnerable.

Sitting up, she rubbed her temples, trying to erase the image of all the people she loved (just Serah and Fang, really) being torn apart by the cie'th, and then their empty glossy eyes, gray skin, and bloody drool as they came back as the same monsters, ready to prey on her.

There was no going back to sleep, at least not now, so she got up and silently walked out of her tent. Serah and Snow's tent were right next to hers. Fang and Vanille's were across the circle of stones that used to hold campfires at the other cluster of tents.

They were lucky to stumble across the abandoned campsite. It provided good shelter and was well enough away from most cities, where most the cie'th like to dwell. Though there were still stray ones that wander around even remote areas like this.

Light felt the need to check on her two favorite people, and quietly went to Serah's tent to make sure she was indeed alive and well. Snow wasn't in his usual place holding her sister as they slept, so he must've been on guard with Caius.

She took a moment to watch Serah, asleep peacefully, and frowned in concern at the large bump of her belly, reminding her of their dwindling time limit.

Then she made her way to the Pulsians' tent and was surprised to find Fang tossing and turning, a frown on her usually smirking face. _She must be having nightmares of her own..._

On a whim, she laid down next to the Oerban and carefully wrapped an arm around her. She had meant to get up after making sure Fang was alright, but her fatigue caught up with her again, and she drifted off.

Fang's body relaxed.

And Vanille and Hope were quite shocked (as well as amused) to find Fang and Light in an embrace, still asleep, in the morning. They decided to leave the two be.

* * *

And there we have the first of many chapters (around seven or eight maybe). Comments and suggestions are welcome!


	2. Scavenge

Alright, this is more of a filler than anything, but I promise that in the next chapter, things pick up. I am not quite too pleased with this, but I thought it'd be nice to start introducing the cie'th now.

* * *

"How many?" Light asked from her kneeled position behind the small housing unit.

"A dozen maybe. There's three wandering around the front of the store, down the street." Noel pointed at the direction. He was crouching on top of the same building where Light, Caius, Fang, and Hope were behind.

"Alright. Do you see a path we can take?"

"There's an alley to the left, across the street. It looks clear."

Light nodded. "Cover us."

"You got it!"

She gave a hand signal to the rest of the group, then quickly and quietly dashed across the street, looking for cie'th Noel may have missed, then gave the 'coast's clear' hand signal and waited beside the alley entrance while Fang, Caius, and Hope followed. Noel jumped down from his vantage point after noticing the others made it safely and then joined the group as well, jogging backwards and scanning the area to make sure no cie'th tailed them.

Light briskly walked through the alley, Blazefire in hand, pointing it any anything that made a sound. She stopped as they reached the end of it, body pressed against the wall, and craned her head out to watch the three shamblers idly shuffling about in front of the large Moogle Mart they planned to raid. "Get ready."

They all nodded, already knowing what to do. Hope was the only one that was hesitant to do so, holding his knife in trembling hands. Light noted is body language, now wondering whether it was a smart decision to let him come with them or not. "You alright?"

"Y-Yeah. I'll be fine." He swallowed and waited as Fang, Noel, and Caius made quick work of the three cie'th in their way. He needed to be there, to get out of camp and do _something_ to get his mind off what happened in Palum Polum. _I'm not a kid anymore._ He needed to grow up and learn to fend for himself and the others, if he wanted to live on, that is. It's why he asked to join the supply mission.

Light nodded, making sure to keep an eye on him then ran across the street to meet with her three companions, Hope following close behind. Luckily, the other cie'th down the street had yet to notice them. And if they did things right, they wouldn't.

They entered the abandoned mart, Light and Fang in front, Hope in the middle, and Noel and Caius bringing up the rear. Minus the boy, the four were a good team; experienced when it came to scouting ahead or sneaking into towns/cities to scavenge. Light had originally denied his request to join, but pity got the best of her, and he managed to convince her to let him come. Hope was young, but he was smart and a quick learner, so she trusted he would pick things up quickly.

"Noel, guard the entrances. Fang, Hope, Caius, you're with me." She lead them deeper into the Mart. It was bigger than it looked on the outside. And towards the back, it was almost pitch black due to the lack of electricity. "Be careful," she reminded them as they crept along. A cie'th could be hiding anywhere - passive until it detects food.

She came across one that was standing with their back to them, completely still and seemingly in some sort of sleep mode. Or perhaps just waiting for prey to pass him by. He wore the tattered clothing of the Moogle Mart uniform – an unfortunate worker at a chain convenience store when he died. Either way, Light finished it with a single stab to the head with her blade. It fell to the floor with a _thud_.

Hope stared at it as he walked past and placed his other hand on the holster where a handgun lay. It was his father's.

Soon enough, they reached the canned and junk food aisles. "Grab whatever you can." All the adults both carried a backpack and a side pack and immediately began to stuff as much as they could into their packs.

"Yeul requires medicine. I'll be in the pharmaceutical aisle," Caius rumbled in his deep voice.

"Could you grab some pain killers as well? If there are any." It was obvious who Light had in mind.

"As you wish." And then he was off.

"Um, I'll go grab some bottled water!" Hope called. Light nodded in approval as she checked the expiration date on a can of beans.

"Make sure ya watch where ya step! The nasties are sneaky like that, heh." Fang gave him a confident, reassuring smirk then resumed digging through a pile of cereal boxes on the floor for an unopened one.

"I'll be careful." He looked around, noticing that other suvivors must've raided the same store, as the aisle where the water was held was mostly empty. Nothing but a few stray bottles that were covered in grime. He ignored those with a small disappointed sigh and swallowed thickly. The only other place to look was in the back, where the freezers were.

With a flashlight in hand, he slowly made his way to the back, relieved to find that there were no cie'th in the way, and even more so when there were still untouched bottled and canned drinks on the shelves. Maybe a dozen in all, but it was a good find, indeed.

He stuffed as many as he could into his pack, barely able to lift it afterwards, but smiled as he hefted it onto his shoulders. _I did something. I helped._

He turned around and froze. In his excitement, he failed to notice the cie'th that was lurking in the corner of the aisle next to him - alerted by the sounds of movement, the brightness of the flashlight, and his scent - until it was behind him. It emitted a low hiss, staring him down with empty eyes, and lifted its partially-crystallized, rotten hands.

"Ahh!" He fell to the floor, the heavy pack weighing him down, and the cie'th grunted and lunged at him.

The flashlight and the knife fell out of his hands. Without thinking, he grabbed his gun and pulled the trigger, imagining that it was just another target that Light put up for him to train on. The bullet flew clean through the head, and the body of the now-dead undead 200 lb man fell right on top of him.

"Hope?!" That was Light.

"I-I'm fine!" He groaned, crawling out from underneath the corpse, and panted, body shaking with adrenaline. _I did it! I killed my first cie'th!_ He didn't have much time to celebrate; the signature wail of another cie'th rang throughout somewhere in the store. Soon, all the cie'th in the vicintity would come for the dinner bell.

"Shit! The hell happened, Hope?!" Fang shouted, as she and the others quickly made their way to him.

"I-I...There was a cie'th..." He glanced at the corpse on the floor. The flashlight had fallen out of his hand and lay next to the body, shining on it's deteriorated face. He picked it, as well as the knife, up and tucked them into his pockets.

"I told ya _not_ ta use a gun unless ya 'ave ta!" A gun was too loud. That's why he had the knife. They killed cleanly and silently. He screwed everything up.

"Cie'th! Tons of them! Coming towards us!" Noel was sprinting towards the group, abandoning his post by the doorway as the silhouettes of the undead could be seen running to the windows, also wailing.

"We need to get out of here. _Now._" Light looked around anxiously as a shambler made it's way towards them - rotted mouth open; dirty hands raised up, ready to grab it's first victim; and clouded eyes staring right through them. Hope shuddered.

Fang stabbed it through its head with her lance then ran down the aisle. "This way! There's an emergency exit!" She kicked the door open, leading to an alley at the side of the mart.

They followed her out, but escape wouldn't be so easy, as cie'th were already crowding the entrance to the alley.

"Up there!"

Fang essentially picked Hope up and threw him onto a ladder about six feet above the ground on the building next to them. He climbed as quickly as his thin arms would take him, as the rest of the group took care of the quicker cie'th that already made their way to them.

Light went up next, then Fang, then Noel, and finally Caius.

Hope panted, placing his hands on his knees, then looked over the roof of the apartment they stood on. Dozens of cie'th had surrounded the building, wailing and reaching up at them, hungry. A few of them were smart enough to go through the open doorway, probably making their way up as they spoke. The rest would soon follow. "Wh-What do we do now?!" He fell onto his hands and knees. It was like Palum Polum all over again. Surrounded. Trapped.

Fang broke off a thin pipe and jammed the door to the lower levels with it. "We find a way out, that's what."

Light's mind was working in overdrive, coming up with and discarding multiple options. There was an abandoned car across the street, and the building next to them was just close enough to jump onto...

"Listen up!" They all gave her their undivided attention.

"I'm going to shoot that car. The minute they're distracted, we jump onto the next building, and then make a run for it. The forest is approximately half a mile west of us. It'll be easier to lose the cie'th there. Then we circle around the town and head back to camp. We stick together as much as possible. Clear?" They nodded. It was a simple enough plan. "And no shooting unless _absolutely_ necessary." She cast a glare at Hope. Now she was regretting bringing him along, but he had to learn at some point. Survival comes easier with experience.

He looked down guiltily and gave another nod. "Right." He put the gun away and then gripped the knife tighter. He's practiced it tons of times. A stab - right though the eye is best. If not, an upwards strike through the chin or back of the neck works, too. But a live cie'th coming at you was different than the already-dead ones Light had him practice on. Much scarier up close.

The jammed door shook and broke ajar just ever so slightly as some cie'th threw themselves at it. Dozens of gray fingers scraped and scratched from the crack, curling at them, like the legs of some strange insect.

"Get ready." They all stood by the edge parallel to the other buildings, as Light aimed and shot the car. It took a few hits, but it exploded wonderfully, a few of the cie'th getting caught in the explosion, as the sound and movement attracted most of the others. Thank Etro they were stupid, working mostly on instinct.

Fang, Light, Noel, and Caius easily jumped across the six-foot distance to the next building.

But Hope only looked down, knees suddenly weakening and the pack seemed to grow heavier by the second. The drop was about three stories high. Probably enough to kill him if he fell.

"C'mon! Let's go, man!" Noel beckoned with his arm, the others were standing by the door on the roof of the other building.

"I-I don't think I can make it!" He fell to his knees. "Just-Just go on without me!" He tried to sound confident, but it came out as soft and scared as he felt. _So this is how I'll die._

"We're running out of time!" Light was growing impatient. The cie'th wouldn't be distracted forever.

"Dammit, Hope, cut the bullshit!" Fang backed up a few feet, then sprinted and jumped over the gap once again, picked him up – pack and all - then threw him over, where Caius caught him. By then, the jammed door flew open and cie'th flooded through, growling and groaning and heading right for Fang.

"Fang!" Light transformed her Blazefire into it's gun form and shot a cie'th in the head that was centimeters away from sinking it's teeth into her leg. She leaped over the gap once more, landing in a crouch with a grunt, and the five made their way through the door of the second building, down the stairs, and out the back entrance.

Some of the cie'th on the street were quite angry that their dinner had played such a nasty trick and seemed particularly aggressive. Others were busy burning to ashes, stumbling around in confusion as to why the world was suddenly so hot and bright.

"Run!" Light didn't need to say it twice.

They each sprinted as quickly as possible to the safety of the trees that were half a mile too far away.

Caius cut off the head of a cie'th that jumped out of an alley in front of them. Noel sliced the arms of one off just before it grabbed him. Light shot three ghouls that were gaining behind them. Fang lanced two and tripped another with the body of one she stabbed. Hope tried to keep up.

Eventually they made it, and after some time, managed to lose all the cie'th in the thick cluster of trees.

Hope stared at the ground most of the way back. "I'm sorry, guys..."

"Don't worry 'bout it." Fang patted his head.

"We got what we needed, and we got out alive. That's what matters." Light gave him a reassuring nod.

Noel grinned and slung an arm around his shoulders. "We're chased by cie'th practically everyday anyways. No big deal."

"A mistake is a lesson learned," said Caius, walking silently behind them, like a giant shadow.

_How could they be so nonchalant about this? I almost got us all killed._ He focused on keeping up and not how heavy the pack was. His back and shoulders hurt, his legs trembled and ached, and he was ready to drop – but he couldn't. If he wanted to survive in this world, he couldn't be weak anymore. So he shut his mouth, ignored the uncomfort, and trudged on with them.

They made it back to camp later than was originally expected – the sun had just set and nighttime was waking up - but came back to their family and friends with weary smiles (even Light included! But her's was much less noticable).

"The scavenge was a success. We've got enough food, water, medication, and supplies to last us until we reach the Palamecia," Light announced. The rest of the group cheered, and the supplies were divided amongst them. Everyone had their own pack to be responsible for, but most things they shared.

"Here, Serah." Light handed the bottle of painkillers Caius got over to her.

"Oh, thanks, Sis." She looked at it uneasily, as if hoping she wouldn't need it, but hugged the elder Farron anyways.

"Get plenty of rest. We need to get up early to head into Eden. We'll be going through Hell, but if that's what it takes to reach the Palamecia, then it's worth it." She frowned, brow furrowing slightly in concern. "Have you...felt anything?"

Serah smiled, always amused by how uncomfortable Light seemed when it came to the topic of her pregnancy. "It kicks sometimes. But otherwise, we're doing fine."

Light nodded, much relieved. "That's good to hear."

"And don't worry, Snow is taking good care of me. He'll be a great daddy." She grinned at how Light's eye twitched then narrowed ever so slightly.

Her next sentence seemed forced. "I'm sure he will be." She turned to walk away, but not before wishing her a good night.

"Oh, and do you and Fang think you guys can tone it down? I _am_ in the tent right next to yours, you know." She giggled as Light stiffened before muttering something and walking away quicker. It was joke of course, but Serah wasn't blind – she saw the two sneak away into Light's tent after dinner last night. And the numerous other times the two have conveniently _disappeared_ for a while when everyone wasn't paying attention.

She only wished Light wouldn't have to hide it. The world ended – no one cares.

Hell, if it hadn't, they'd be throwing them a party and welcoming Fang and Vanille into the family.


End file.
